Product Overview

When you look at most biometric software solutions offered today you have two choices. One is a specific biometric solution that only works with a specific hardware manufacturer. This offers no customization in the final application to fit your unique business needs. The other is a low level biometric software component that offers customization, but will take weeks if not months to fully develop the application. The Griaule Biometric Framework is a fully developed biometric solution that is designed to be easily integrated into any application, and use almost any type of biometric hardware. This gives the developer the ability to customize the biometric features while at the same time deliver a completed application in just a matter of minutes.

The Griaule Biometric Framework combines cloud and local services with an intuitive user interface to enable the rapid development and the ease of integrating biometric information into any kind of application with just 3 lines of code. This service deals with the complexity to enroll, store, cache, distribute, search, balance, optimize and secure the biometric information for the developer. These features reduce development costs, infrastructure costs, and the need for IT maintenance and support; while at the same time improving reliable identification, and End User scalability for any business. Griaule has learned from our long experience in biometric technology used by thousands of customers worldwide and have implemented the best practices so you get great results without having to become an expert in biometrics.

Features

A Powerful Biometric Information Management System in the Cloud

Griaule is an expert in biometric technology, and we have learned that developers want a more comprehensive biometric solution. Enterprise solutions down to small companies want biometric software and hardware to become easier to maintain and cost effective to administrate. The goal of a Biometric Information Management system is to ease the integration of biometrics into any kind of application; while at the same time optimize and secure the information collected. The Griaule Biometric Framework is a Biometric Information Management System and the service includes the data storage and optimization, security, local site data replication, enrollment process, search process and administrative features. This is the first biometric service that resides in the cloud and is always available to your entire business network at any location running the Griaule Biometric Framework software.

Figure 1 - Griaule Biometric Framework Cloud Connectivity

Precise Enrollment Process

One of the most critical parts in acquiring biometric information is to create a quality enrollment process that captures the biometric information in the best way possible. A poor enrollment process will increase the false rejection rate and the false acceptance rates; wrongly denying or accepting access to users. The Griaule Biometric Framework service manages the enrollment process to ensure the best methods are used to capture a user’s biometric information.

Fingerprint, Face, and Voice recognition are the three most common types of biometric identification used around the world, and the Griaule Biometric Framework can easily integrate each one into your application. The three different types of biometric information can be used independently or in conjunction to create a wide variety of biometric applications. The user will have a helpful interactive GUI to ensure the biometric information is enrolled correctly. This process is also designed to assure that a single user cannot be enrolled twice; if duplicates are found the enrollment process is not allowed to complete.

The Griaule Biometric Search features are constantly being updated. Even though your application may already be deployed we continue to improve the search features so that it is faster and more reliable. The Search method has been designed so that when the local database host is not available, or the database has not completed synchronizing with the cloud database; the search methods will automatically switch and use the cloud database to process the search requests.

Our award winning fingerprint algorithm has one of the best recognition rates in the biometric industry, reducing false rejections or false acceptance in the identification process. The Griaule Biometric Framework search and identification logic is optimized to identify millions of fingerprints per second using the newest computer hardware.

Figure 3 - Scan your finger to search for the user’s identification

Intelligent Database Features

The Griaule Biometric Framework database is the core of the Biometric Information Management system that uses calculated algorithms to automatically improve search times, and create better biometric templates. The cloud database provides the facilities for controlling data access, enforcing data integrity, managing biometric templates, as well as maintaining database security using AES encryption. The local cache database uses these same database security features and creates an automatic back up of the cloud database so that even if the Internet connection is down your biometric application continues to work.

The Griaule Biometric Framework is designed so that the more a person uses and is recognized by the system; the more precise the enrolled biometric information becomes in the database. This feature reduces false acceptance rates and false rejection rates so that the right person is identified each and every time. The Griaule development team is always improving the algorithms and the performance of the database; even after your application is deployed the biometric information is continuously optimized without any service interruptions.

Cloud Computing

Griaule is focused on delivering cloud computing solutions for biometric applications. There is no need for companies to run advanced servers, develop huge databases, and maintain computer infrastructure to deliver biometric services when cloud computing has proven to be a reliable solution. One of the biggest features cloud services offer is the ability to create a biometric application with worldwide access. Large enterprises can create one application in the cloud that can be accessed by thousands of users at different offices around the world. Small scale businesses also benefit because they can create small solution that fit the needs of their company without having to heavily invest in hardware or software development. The Griaule Biometric Framework is scalable; as your company grows you can adjust the service to fit the number of users with just a click of the mouse, and there is no need to re-code your application. Cloud services reduce development costs, infrastructure costs, and the need for IT maintenance and support; while at the same time improving reliability, and End User scalability for any business.

Figure 4 - Griaule Biometric Framework Communication Structure

Security Features

The Griaule Biometric Framework Service is designed to protect data that is in transit over the Internet or your network. The Griaule Biometric Framework, cloud database, local databases hosts, and end user stations use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption to encrypt the data that is sent between each other. The Griaule Biometric Framework service is designed to prevent third parties, including Internet service providers, from accessing your organization's sensitive biometric information in a decrypted format.

The Griaule Biometric Framework Service uses confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity, which are principles for information security, to help protect your organization from data loss or alteration:

Confidentiality - The Griaule Biometric Framework database and local cache database use AES encryption to help make sure that only intended recipients can view the contents of your biometric databases.Integrity - The Griaule Biometric Framework Service uses SSL encryption to help protect every biometric process that the cloud database, local database, and end user stations send and receive to help prevent third parties from copying or altering the biometric data.Authenticity - Before the Griaule Biometric Framework Service sends data to the local database, or end user stations, the computer will authenticate with the Griaule Biometric Framework Service to prove that the local database or end user stations knows the account and application credentials before any data is sent.

The Griaule Biometric Framework service is designed to use the following features to help provide security, privacy, and continuity to your organization's biometric environment:

Encryption to help keep your data protected while it is in transit and while it is stored in the Griaule Biometric Framework data centers

Access control, logs, and other security resources to help keep your data confidential from other third parties

A software development model that focuses on security.

The biometric user information stored in the cloud is anonymized so that no personal information is linked with the user’s fingerprints.

High availability, disaster recovery, and contingency plans to handle emergencies

Architecture that is designed to provide a secure link between the Operating System and the Griaule Biometric Framework service

Administrative control of your Griaule Biometric Framework service accounts using IT administration and policies

Easy Integration

Full Featured Software with Rapid Integration

System Integrators have an increasing demanded for more comprehensive fully featured biometric services that abstract most of the complexity of integrating biometric software into their applications. Businesses are demanding that biometric solutions should have faster integration times, flexible platforms for development, and the ability to customize biometric software to fit the needs of any type of enterprise solution. Griaule Biometrics recognizes this new trend in the industry and our goal has been to implement the best practices in biometrics so that system integrators get great results without having to become an expert in biometrics.

Integrating biometric software into an application should no longer take months or weeks, but instead hours, or just minutes. The Griaule Biometric Framework service can be integrated into any application in as little as 5 minutes. The Biometric Framework service is installed as a local web service and any application that can connect to the Internet can use its methods to enroll, delete and search for biometric information in their application. Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) have already been developed, and are ready to guide the user through the biometric enrollment and search processes; while administrators can manage the service with our intuitive Web Control Panel interface. The Griaule Biometric Framework provides support for projects in C#, Java, VB.NET, C++, and .NET. Other programming languages are supported with the use of our WSDL. Griaule Biometrics distributes source code samples in the programming languages C#, VB.NET and Java, and more samples will be available soon. Developers spend less time integrating biometrics into their applications, so they can spend more time on the logic of their business application.

Independence of Fingerprint Scanners

There are over 50 models of fingerprint scanners that are supported with the Griaule Biometric Framework service and we continue to update this list with new models. The software supports both flat and rolled fingerprint scanners, and it is possible to use more than one fingerprint scanner model at the same time in your application. Usually, the fingerprint libraries provided by the manufacturers only support their own device. The Griaule Biometric Framework supports multiple fingerprint scanners allowing the developer or End User to choose the most suitable fingerprint scanner for their business. Even after the application has been developed and/or deployed the Griaule Biometric Framework allows you to change the fingerprint scanner hardware without modifying your code!

The Griaule Biometric Framework service is dynamic, and can use both fingerprint scanners and image formats together at the same time, or separately to identify users in a wide range of scenarios. The fingerprint scanner adds the convenience of identifying users with just the press of their finger. There are no other forms of identification needed, or to be lost when you deploy your application with a fingerprint scanner. The Griaule Biometric Framework also supports using image files and raw image formats to enroll and search for users within a biometric application. These methods allow the developer to import biometric information from other programs or digitized ten print cards so it is not necessary to re-enroll users if you already have their biometric information. This also allows the developer to store biometric information on other forms of hardware like a smart-card, or other electronic ID system, and gives the developer the option of not using a fingerprint scanner in their application.

No Licensing Management

The Griaule Biometric Framework business model eliminates the burden of software license management by focusing on the number of users that are enrolled with the service rather than the number of computers the application is installed on. The Griaule Biometric Framework is designed to have low variable costs that scale with your business needs. This eliminates the need for system administrators to manually track licenses or dongle keys, freeing them for higher value activities and helping your organization keep operational costs down.

Control Panel

You can administrate all your accounts and applications and see all the computers that are using your biometric applications from an intuitive web interface. The Web Control Panel is a single point of access to administrate all your Framework Accounts, databases, and applications associated with the Griaule Biometric Framework. Administrators will be able to create, edit and delete databases. Define settings for the local host cache, add and configure applications, and view logs about who is connecting to your accounts and where your application is being used.

Control Panel Features:

Set the mandatory fingers to be captured during the enrollment process.

Choose if your application will use a rolled fingerprint image or a flat fingerprint image to enroll or search for users in the database. (Note: the fingerprint scanner must support rolled fingerprint scans in order for this feature to work.)

Choose if the application will show the real fingerprint captured or just an animation in the graphical user interface.

Define the computers that will be used as a local database hosts for your applications.

View computer logs that show what computers are connecting with your service.

Define what applications connect with the Griaule Biometric Framework service.

Customize the biometric features at any time without having to re-code your application.

Getting started for free!

Sign-up here for a 30 days free service, download the installer and samples, integrate your application and you’re done.

The Griaule Biometrics team is hard at work improving all the features of the Biometric Framework Service. The next release of the Griaule Biometric Framework software will support Linux Operating systems, and developers will be able to add support for voice and face recognition into their application.